318: A Chubby Chick's Tale of Weight Loss Surgery

"318: A Chubby Chick's Tale of Weight Loss Surgery" is the story of a woman learning to live a more productive and healthy lifestyle after gastric banding surgery. "318: A Chubby Chick's Tale of Weight Loss" will allow the reader to learn and take part in a woman's choices and decisions in having the procedure done. The story also contains fat flashbacks that are episodes of humor, heartbreak, and the examination of love and hatred of one's physical form. With each emotionally charged chapter and the brutal honesty of fat flashbacks, the author explains the pains of gaining weight, the adventures in becoming a better person, and the successes and failures of one woman's life after bariatric surgery.

Jessyca Mathews is an English teacher in Flint, Michigan. She is a graduate of Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, with a degree in master of arts in teaching. She also attended the University of Michigan–Flint to receive her English degree with a specialization in secondary education and is a fellow of the National Writing Project through her work with the Red Cedar Writing Project at Michigan State University. After having the strength to complete her gastric banding surgery in 2011, she has enjoyed many successes and awards in writing and community service.

Her first published book, Simply: A Collection of Poetry, is an award-winning piece from a national contest with MANA. She has begun doing motivational speeches and poetry readings at different events in the state of Michigan. She continues to write about her experiences and is working on publishing an additional poetry collection and memoir.